Nairobi: Vice Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng. Mansour Hilal Almushaiti emphasized the importance of concerted national, regional, and international efforts to address environmental challenges worldwide, and the need for joint action to develop sustainable solutions that protect the planet and enhance its resilience, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future for coming generations.
According to Saudi Press Agency, his remarks came at the high-level meeting held as part of the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). The meeting took place in Nairobi, Kenya on December 11 and 12, under the theme 'Advancing Sustainable Solutions for a Resilient Planet,' with broad international participation.
Almushaiti explained that the Kingdom has adopted an integrated approach to enhancing the sustainability of the environment and natural resources through the implementation of comprehensive national policies and strategies. These focus on managing natural resources, developing vegetation cover and combating desertification, preserving biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions, and adopting a circular economy approach to improve resource efficiency and enhance waste recycling.
He added that the Kingdom places great importance on supporting joint efforts to exchange expertise, transfer knowledge, and activate cooperation mechanisms in environmental fields in order to strengthen collective action toward practical and sustainable solutions through the use of technology and innovation to support the Sustainable Development Goals, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Almushaiti pointed to the Kingdom's effective contributions to addressing many environmental issues around the world through supporting and strengthening joint action with regional and international partners and by hosting prominent international and regional events, including World Environment Day, the One Water Summit, and the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), which witnessed the launch of several initiatives aimed at reducing land degradation and the impacts of drought.
He noted that the Kingdom submitted a draft resolution on strengthening international cooperation to combat land degradation during the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, which received the assembly's support and approval, underscoring the Kingdom's leadership in addressing global environmental issues.
Almushaiti stated that the Kingdom has completed the rehabilitation of more than 500,000 hectares of degraded land and planted more than 151 million trees as part of achieving the targets of the Saudi Green Initiative. He added that the Kingdom continues its work on the Middle East Green Initiative, which includes 30 Arab, Asian, and African countries, noting that both initiatives represent a framework for regional and international cooperation to unify efforts to protect the environment, reduce land degradation, and ensure the sustainability of natural resources.
In his concluding remarks, the vice minister reaffirmed the Kingdom's keenness to work with all partners to strengthen joint environmental action, calling for support to international initiatives that contribute to protecting the planet, foremost among them the Global Water Organization and the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, which represent an effective framework for enhancing joint international efforts to combat drought.
Source: Saudi Press Agency